Chapter 1038: 1015 Pain Patch

"Old Sun, don't be polite." Director Kong stepped in to smooth things over, smiling: "Boss Zheng has to go overseas tomorrow for surgery, it's tough. If you're really willing, just free up your bed?"

Regarding major medical policies, patients admitted to tertiary hospitals are controlled, and many patients are transferred to Community Hospital.

This is the legendary tiered medical system.

Some hospitals implement this very well, but for the large tertiary hospitals in Di Du, the patients coming for treatment are mostly from out of town, with more severe conditions and many complicated cases, so implementation is still difficult.

Like the community hospital where Sun Ming works, there are few capable staff; if it were to become a 912 referral hospital… the shortage of doctors and nurses is a huge obstacle, with no room for maneuver.

Sun Ming is worrying about this.

There's a document from above; not implementing it is not an option. But if we do, the lack of high‑level doctors means no one with a PhD or master's from 912 wants to be sent to the community hospital. If we force it, these are lives—any mishap will bring enough medical disputes to trouble me.

So this matter has been stalled in a dilemma.

At this moment, Director Kong brought up the matter; Sun Ming froze for a second, his mind racing. He glanced at Director Kong, saw the smile in his eyes, and immediately understood his meaning.

"Old Kong, you know my situation."

"It's fine, Boss Zheng's patients aren't seriously ill." Director Kong smiled: "Come on, I'll take you to see the patients after today's TIPS Surgery."

Zheng Ren had no idea what was going on, didn't know what riddle Director Kong and Sun Ming were playing, didn't ask, and followed Director Kong to make rounds.

Zheng Ren oversees six beds; the six post‑op patients all had surgery today.

Entering the ward, I saw a nurse talking to a patient and the patient's family. Her voice was a little loud; obviously something had happened, and everyone was caught up in an anxious mood.

Director Kong's heart skipped a beat—could it be that nothing usually happens, but today a big issue has arisen?

"What's wrong?" Director Kong frowned and asked.

"Director, the patient's vital signs have been monitored for eight hours post‑op; everything is stable now. I want to remove the ECG monitor, but he refuses." The nurse said helplessly.

Director Kong relaxed at once.

He smiled, came to the bedside, and asked: "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"

"Doctor, removing the monitor doesn't matter, but don't take off the pain patch." The other two patients in the same ward nodded and said in unison.

Pain patch? That left Director Kong stunned.

What pain patch? After TIPS Surgery patients don't normally show pain symptoms, so how could there be a pain patch?

He followed the patient's gaze and saw it was an electrode patch stuck on the chest wall.

"Is this it?" Director Kong asked tentatively.

"Yes, Director." The patient in the next bed said: "This pain patch works great—I feel no pain at all and have no symptoms."

"……" Even a seasoned old hand like Director Kong was taken aback.

"When I was at home, I'd been hospitalized and seen post‑op patients; they'd bang their heads against the wall from pain—it was miserable to watch."

The patient had a slight Northeastern accent, and Zheng Ren seriously suspected he'd been led astray by Professor Rudolf Wagner.

"Then what?" Director Kong asked casually.

"After my surgery… we were fine afterward, feeling good. I checked the meds—just a liver‑protecting group, nothing else. I guess it's the effect of the pain patch."

"Right, Director, let us keep using the pain patch a bit longer." Another patient said.

"Sure." Director Kong didn't explain; if the patient feels good, and I insisted on taking the pain patch away, and the patient later develops symptoms at night, that would be pointless.

The little nurse removed the ECG monitors one by one, but left the electrode patches on the patients.

"If you're talking about big hospitals' medicines being good, the pain patch really works well." A patient praised.

"It's because Director Kong and Doctor Zheng's surgery is well done!" Another patient quickly gave a look to stop the one who had just spoken.

Isn't that just not knowing how to speak?

Praising the medicine to the doctor's face is just asking for trouble for oneself.

Zheng Ren just smiled and said nothing.

"Director Kong, what surgery is this?" Sun Ming asked.

"Liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, ascites—what surgery do you think this is?" Director Kong asked with a smile.

"……" Sun Ming was speechless.

Could it be TIPS Surgery? He wanted to curse in his heart.

It's not cursing Director Kong, but the patient's condition exceeds his expectations.

Patients after TIPS Surgery are likely to develop hepatic encephalopathy, and due to multiple punctures they may also have bleeding and other complications.

But looking at the patient before us, where is there anything similar?

One by one, they were energetic and kept praising Director Kong and Doctor Zheng's surgical skill.

Although these words sound fake at first hearing, and the praise misses the point, they simply have no signs of hepatic encephalopathy.

"How about it, President Sun?" Director Kong asked with a chuckle: "I'll find a few master's and doctorate students to do clinical work for you; you won't have to worry about night shifts, just take up the beds, and we'll share the profits."

Sun Ming's thoughts started moving.

If there's no risk but it can increase income, that's a great opportunity!

But he was still cautious and didn't directly agree to Director Kong.

Zheng Ren finally understood what Director Kong was up to.

This policy exists in Hai Cheng too, but at the prefectural level it's another matter. The big hospitals can't even fill their own beds, let alone transfer patients to community hospitals.

The Northeast suffers severe population loss, so this policy simply can't be used there.

But now…… isn't this a highway to heaven?!

Patients stay in the community hospital before surgery for checks, not occupying any 912 beds. Do six a day, then observe the patients overnight; if fine, transfer them to the community hospital to continue liver‑protecting treatment, waiting for the second‑stage surgery.

If we can pull that off, it would be absolutely perfect!

The Department of Gastroenterology and the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, thickening their skins to ask for two beds each—ten beds total, ten surgical patients a day…

It seems the huge number of surgical cases needed for a Nobel Prize isn't a problem either.

Zheng Ren felt, and in an instant the sky brightened!

"Zheng Lao Ban, let's have a meal together tonight." Director Kong said with a smile.

"Okay." Zheng Ren agreed without hesitation.

Sun Ming was overjoyed.

Being able to connect with Zheng Lao Ban's connection, for him—the so-called director of this half-dead Community Hospital—it's practically a golden road!

Old Kong really is generous! Sun Ming thought to himself.